Bicycle-brake



' (No Model.)

J. LITTLE. BICYCLE BRAKE.

Patented May 26, 1896.

ANDREW iGRANAMJMOTOMTHQWASHINGYDNJJC. I

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrron.

JOHN IV. LITTLE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BICYCLE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,007, dated May as,1896.

Application filed August -2 8, 189 5.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. LITTLE, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California,have invented an Improvement in Bicycle-Brakes; and I hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a brake which is especially adapted for use uponbicycles.

It consists in certain details of construction which will be more fullyexplained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is a vertical section showing the interior construction. Fig. 2 is amodification of the manner of connecting the operating parts with thebrake. Fig. 3 is a section on line y y of Fig. 1.

The object of my invention is to provide an effective brake mechanism tobe operated directly from the handle of the machine without the use ofexterior levers and exposed parts. V

A is the handle-bar of a bicycle, which may be made tubular or anysuitable or desired form.

Bis the central tubular post extending from the bar downwardly into thesteering-head, where it is locked in the usual manner.

0 are the handles, which are usually fixed upon the outer ends of thehandle-bar.

In Fig. 1 I have shown the brake-shoe D having a rod E extending upwithin the tubular handle-bar post and suitably guided, so that areciprocating movement may be imparted to it to either force it down andapply the brake to the wheel rim or tire or other surface to which it isapplicable or to withdraw it when the brake is to be removed.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the brake-shoe fixed to a lever-arm F, suitablyfulcrumed in the fork of the machine, and in this case the lever-arm isconnected with the operating mechanism, so as to be reciprocated in thesame manner as when the direct rod is used, but in the oppositedirection.

G is a pulley j ournaled at the intersection of the handle-bar post withthe bar itself, and around this pulley passes a flexible strap G of anysuitable material. In Fig. 1 this strap passes below the pulley andturning at SeriaINo. 560,787. (No model.)

right angles is connected with the upper end of the rod E, which extendsabove the pulley into a chamber H, which in this case would be formed toproject above the top of the central portion of the handle-bar to makeroom for the movements of the rod E. This chamber is provided with asuitable-closingcap H, which may be removed at any time to obtain accessto this portion of the device.

In this construction whenever the flexible connecting-cord is pulledoutwardly by the mechanism to be hereinafter described it will act toforce the rod E downward, so that the brake-shoe will be forced intocontact with the tire of the wheel with any desired pressure. When theoperating mechanism is moved to release the tension upon the cord, thebrake will be lifted from the wheel by means of a spring suitablyconnected with it. The upper end of the rod or shank E may be madesingle, or it may be forked, so that the cord lies within the forkedportion.

When the brake-shoe is mounted upon a lever, as shown in Fig. 2, thecord will pass over the top of the pulley and extending down through thehandle-bar post and steeringhead it will be connected with the rear endof the brake-shoe lever, so that the operation of pulling upon the cordwill raise .the rear end of the lever and correspondingly force thebrake-shoe into contact with the wheel rim or tire. The means foroperating this mechanism consists of a screw J, fixed to one end of thehandle-bar projecting outwardly therefrom into the interior of thehandle 0. The interior of the handle is provided with a lining 0r sleeveL, having the female threads of the screw adapted to engage the threadsof the male portion J. These screw-threads have a sufficiently rapidpitch, so that by turning the handle in one direction upon the threadedportion it will be moved outwardly and by turning it in the oppositedirection it will be returned. The flexible strap or connection Grextends from the pulley G through one arm of the handle-bar, followingits curvatures, and its outer end is connected with a short rigid plateor bar K. Upon the end of the threaded portion J is fixed a plate ordisk M, and through the center of this plate or disk is made an openingcorresponding in shape with the transverse section of the plate or barK,which is polygonal, so that it passes through this opening and willslide in it easily, but will be prevented by it from turning. Upon theend of the screw-threaded lining L is fixed another disk 0, which turnswith the lining and the handle. In the center of this disk is made around opening and Within this opening isfitted a head P, intowhich theend of the bar K is secured. This head turns freely in the opening, sothat when the handle is turned around the disk through which the barpasses will prevent its turning, holding it and the head P so that theydo not revolve, while the handle and the disk 0 are allowed to turnfreely.

The operation will then be as follows: The screw-threads may be cut toeither right or left hand pitch, as may be most convenient for theoperator, and when the handle is turned so as to force it outwardly thedisk 0, acting upon the head P, draws upon its c011- nected bar K andthe flexible strap G, and thus actu ates the brake, as previouslydescribed. When turned in the opposite direction, it releases theflexible strap, and the spring, acting as previously described, movesthe brake out of contact with the tire. The

end of the handle-bar is provided with a removable cap Q, through whichaccess may be obtained to the interior of the handle for the purpose oflubricating the head P or other moving parts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

An improved bicycle-brake consisting of a handle-bar having ascrew-threaded extension, a handle having corresponding interior threadsfitting and turnable upon said extension, a disk M fixed upon the end ofthe screwthreaded extension of the handle-bar having a centralguide-hole, a bar or plate in the handle and slidable through said disk,a second disk fixed to the revoluble handle having a circular hole inits center, a head fitting and turnable in said circular hole andconnected with the bar or plate so that the rotation oi the handle actsto draw the bar or plate outwardly or inwardly without turning, anextension at the upper end of the handle-bar post, havinga closing-cap,a pulley at the junction of said post and the handle-bar, a slidable rodin the handle-bar post with its upper end to project into the extensionthereof, a flexible connection to said rod and thence passed under saidpulley and connected to the bar or plate, and a brake-shoe actuated bythe movement of the rod, all combined, constructed and arranged tooperate,as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

'Witn esses:

Gno. H. Srnonc, S. H. NoURsE.

